STATION NEWS AND THE LOG BOOK - June 12, 2015

NASA images used in a photo composite. Credit: Christine Daniloff/MIT

 STATION NEWS AND THE LOG BOOK
JUNE 12, 2015

STATION NEWS

ALASKA
It's great to see KNLS - Anchor Point back on air after a few months absence. Broadcasts began again around June 3. There's an announcement on their English language website with the following statement from Rob Scobey, Senior Producer for International English:

"As I write this—our engineers in Anchor Point, Alaska are in the final stages of completing repairs to the mesh antenna that sends the signal of KNLS to the Eastern Hemisphere. Weather conditions finally improved enough to allow repair crews to have access to the site. For the time being—KNLS will operate off of one transmitter and antenna. So the English hour will be broadcast three times a day rather than the normal four broadcasts plus one simulcast. Our next step is to get the new transmitter—that is, the second of two transmitters—hooked up to the second antenna. Once that’s done—the English hour will be back to our full schedule.

"Half a world away from Alaska, in the Indian Ocean region—the new transmitters for KNLS’s sister station have arrived on at the site of the sister station. Listeners in India, South Asia, Africa, and Europe, will, on most days, be able to get a clearer signal. We’re hopeful the new station will be on the air by the end of this year." (See recent MEDXR Post……..)

 KNLS has been putting a very strong signal into Mount Evelyn at s/on 0800 UTC for the Russian service on 9655 kHz. Later, the station was noted signing on at 1100 on 9610 kHz in Mandarin, at 1200 s/on in English on 7355 kHz, and s/on 1300 on 9920 kHz. (See the Log Book listings below for details)

 The website is http://www.knls.org. However, the frequencies currently listed at http://www.knls.org/broadcasting-main.html appear to be incorrect or out of date. Here's the schedule for the service to EAs with 100 kW on the only currently operating transmitter:

 0800-0900 - 9655 kHz - Russian
0900-1000 - 9655 kHz - Mandarin
1000-1100 - 9655 kHz - English
1100-1200 - 9610 kHz - Mandarin
1200-1300 - 7355 kHz - English
1300-1400 - 9920 kHz - Mandarin
1400-1500 - 7355 kHz - Mandarin
1500-1600 - 9920 kHz - English
1600-1800 - 9920 kHz - Russian

 RAMADAN
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar is observed as a time of fasting from dawn until sunset. It is considered a spiritually important time by our Muslim brothers and sisters. This year, Ramadan has taken place between June 18 and July 16. During this time, broadcasters in the Islamic world are worth watching for additional services or extended schedules. In the past, I have noted Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Djibouti and R. Hargesa all operating at different times to their normal schedules.


The following information on Voice of Islamic Republic of Iran's additional services during Ramadan comes from the latest HFCC registrations:

 0020-0120 - 9845 kHz - (Sirjan) in Turkish to ME
2145-0050 - 5950 kHz - (Kamalabad) in Tajik to CAs
2230-0030 - 9440 kHz - (Kamalabad) in Arabic to ME
2250-0220 - 6065 kHz - (Sirjan) in Azerbaijani to WAs
2250-0220 - 7230 kHz - (Sirjan) in Aberbaijani to WAs
2320-002 - 5940 kHz - (Sirjan) in Kurdish to ME

SOLAR STORM ACTIVITY

Dr. Tamitha Skov has just issued a new video with solar storm activity for the coming week. Here's what she says in her introduction:

The Sun has kicked things into high gear this week with a new active region rotating onto the East limb (that has already given us an M-flare since the video was shot) and with a new Earth-directed solar storm that should graze Earth on June 12. See details of this coming solar storm, catch up on some gorgeous aurora pictures from the solar storm last week, and see what else the Sun has in store for us this week.

Check out Dr. Skov's latest YouTube report:

FROM THE LOG BOOK


4055   GUATEMALA. R. Verdad - Chiquimula. Very weak signal at 1020 with slow songs (perhaps hymns?) and occasional anncts. Difficult to tell the language as local noise made listening difficult. First time heard this year, June 10

 5915   UNIDENTIFIED. Believed to be Myanmar Radio - Naypyidaw at 1045 with softly spoken talks and occasional local light pops. Weak signal and noted to past 1110 on June 10.


6080   SAO TOMÉ. VOA - Pinheira. English to WAf at 0600 with African news commentaries, fair signal via the long path on June 10.

7330   NEW ZEALAND. RNZI - Rangitaki. At s/on 0650 with DRM noise to Tonga, weekdays. NF x 9890, strong on June 10.

7355   ALASKA. KNLS - Anchor Point. S/on English at 1200 with a strong signal but some side QRM from CRI's Thai service on 7360 kHz, June 10.

9455   CHINA. CRI - Location unknown. S/on 1100 in Esperanto with a fair signal. NF, appears to be an additional frequency to 11635 and 15110 both of which were also heard on June 10.

9610   ALASKA. KNLS - Anchor Point. S/on 1100 in Mandarin, ID and address then into pop music, good signal on June 10.

9645.37   BRAZIL. R. Bandeirantes - São Paulo. A weak signal with a music program at 0635. Squashed by Vatican R. s/on 0644 with their Arabic service till 0705, then the Brazilian was in the clear again, June 10.

9655   ALASKA. KNLS - Anchor Point. S/on 0800 in Russian, then 0900 in Mandarin, and 1000 in English till 1100 s/off. Started very strongly at 0800 but by 1000 the signal strength had dropped off significantly, and compounded by QRM from the CNR 1 jammer and RTI on 9660 at s/on 1000, June 10.

9665   D.P.R.K. KCBS - Pyongyang. Talks and Korean "classical" style music at 1045 with a fair signal, // 3959 also heard but weak on June 9.

9820   CHINA. Beibu Bay R. - Nanning. A fair signal with pop music and light-weight announcing at 1050. A nasty hum also noted in the audio. QRM Havana at 1100 s/on with their Spanish service. Also // 5050 also heard but much weaker there on June 9.

9830   SAO TOMÉ. DW - Pinheira. Hausa to WAf, 0630 to 0700, fair signal on June 10.

9865   CHINA. CRI - Location unknown. English now here on this NF at 1000 to 1100, very good signal on June 10.

9920   ALASKA. KNLS - Anchor Point. S/on 1300 in Mandarin with IS and ID. Perhaps an unfortunate choice of frequency given that FEBC is also here - competing religious broadcasters! PLUS a siren jammer, probably meant for KNLS. FEBC s/off 1330 leaving the frequency to KNLS and the jammer, June 10.

11630   KUWAIT. R. Kuwait. Long Arabic talks to CAf at 1110, ID at 1118, fair to poor on June 9.

11665   MALAYSIA. RTM - Kajang. Relaying Wai FM at 1120 with kitsch pop songs and Malay anncts, fair signal on June 9.

11865   D.P.R.K. VoKorea - Kujang. S/on 0700 for the 5 hours of daily Japanese programming. A scratchy signal at first but improves somewhat during later hours, June 10.

73 and have a great weekend everyone!

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

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